Rock Bottom
by lucycharlotte98
Summary: Rita stared into the darkness, allowing the sensation of the vodka and co-codamol take over her body.
1. Chapter 1

Rita stared into the darkness, allowing the sensation of the vodka and co-codamol take over her body. As a nurse she knew that mixing together alcohol and pain killers was bad. However she didn't care, right now Rita wanted to escape into a world where no one could judge her, no one could tell her what she did was wrong. She could escape her past.

Once the effects wore off, Rita sighed. She longed for the numbing feeling to take over her body. But this time she wanted it to last longer. Rita couldn't bare to face the world anymore; everyone hated her. No one wanted to be associated with the woman who stood up in court and lied under oath.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. The high pitched noise echoing around her flat. Picking up the phone, Rita saw it was Ash. She hesitated a moment before chucking her phone against the wall, causing it to smash, stopping anyone from contacting her.

Rita wanted to be alone. The words 'outcast' going round in her head. The looks of her so called friends when she walked into work that day, trying to be normal, trying to move on. But no one would let her. No one can escape their past, no matter how hard they try.


	2. Chapter 2

Zoe, Tess, Charlie, Lofty, Robyn, Max, Tamzin, Jeff, Big Mac, Noel and Louise all sat around the table in the pub. There was one thing they were all talking about. Rita!

'She should be in prison for what she did' Louise exclaimed, 'She stood up in court and covered up for her rapist of a husband!'

'I know, and then she stole his notes to stop us from finding out the truth' Robyn sighed.

Ash walked over to the large group and sat down at the end of the table, next to Charlie. After hearing what Robyn had said, Ash had had enough. What Rita did wasn't right but there was no way her own colleges, her own friends, should be talking about Rita like that.

'Thats enough!' Ash practically shouted, 'Rita is our friend, and you lot have decided to go against her because of what she did. Everyone has a past, a secret they don't want to tell people because of one reason or another. Not everyone can be perfect, and you have no right to talk about Rita behind her back, like she is a piece of dirt!'

Everyone went quiet. No one knew what to say.

'Ash is right' Charlie started, 'Rita may not have done the right thing. But she didn't want everyone to find out because what her Husband did hurt her, think about how you would feel.'

Everyone remained silent. The atmosphere dropped as Rita's colleges started to realise that if they were in the same situation, they would probably do the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Rita poured out a large glass of vodka, the strong taste would mask the bitter tablets, the alcohol would give her the satisfying feeling numbness that she desperately desired. Reaching up to the shelf, she grabbed the box of co-codamol and chucked the remaining 3 tablets into the glass, knowing that it would be a massive overdose, strong enough to kill her. She allowed them to fizz until they dissolved away.

Taking a deep breathe, Rita drank the entire glass. Her hands went cold as she dropped the glass to the floor, waiting for the darkness to take over her, the darkness which would mean the end of everything. She couldn't wait for her nightmare to end for the pain that her Husband caused her to disappear as she slipped away.

A small smile crept across her face, as she fell to the ground. Landing on the smashed glass, her pale skin to become laced in deep red blood. But Rita didn't feel a thing. Nothing could hurt her anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Ash walked into the ED the following morning, he didn't feel ready for the day. He kept thinking about Rita. He had tried to call her several times in the night, but she never answered. He assumed Rita wanted to be left alone, to give her some time to think things through and move on with her life.

'Ash, staff meeting in 5' Noel's chirpy voice stated.

Ash gave a quick nod before heading for the staff room. Opening his locker Ash put his coat inside and pulled out his name badge and stethoscope. Taking a deep breathe, Ash shut his locked and turned around just as the rest of the staff wondered into the staff room, ready to be briefed by Connie.

After a long twenty minutes of Connie going on about budget cuts and other things that stopped him from saving lives, the staff meeting was over. Ash turned to walk out into the busy ED when Lofty suddenly spoke up.

'Anyone seen Rita, she was meant to be her an hour ago?'

The staff room was filled with quiet murmurs as people tried to discover who had last heard from the young nurse.

'I tried calling her last night, she didn't answer' Ash replied, worry heard in his voice.

'Okay' Connie started 'Ash and Lofty, I want you to find Rita's address, go round to her house and find out where she is!'

'Hang on Ash, I know where she lives, I'll take you in the ambulance. It will be quicker that way' Jeff shouted to stop Ash and Lofty from leaving.

Slowly everyone else made their way out of the staff room, ready to begin the day of treating patients. However no one knew that very soon, they would be fighting to save the life of one of their own. Someone who didn't want to be saved.


	5. Chapter 5

'Rita can you hear me?' Ash shouted.

The three men stood outside the door of Rita's flat. At first they thought they had missed her, but then her neighbour told them that Rita hadn't been seen since 6pm last night, when she got home from her shift. She also informed them that she had a bottle of vodka in her bag and she looked like she had been crying.

This raised panic among the men. If Rita had been seen with a bottle of vodka, they maybe she wanted to do something stupid. Something that it may be to late to stop.

'Rita! Rita! Come on open up!' Ash shouted, smacking the door with his hands, hoping for a response.

'Stand back' Lofty exclaimed before running up to the door and smashing it down. Allowing access into Rita's flat.

The first thing they noticed was the various bottles of vodka and wine scattered around the floor. Walking through the lounge, the three men caught sight of something that made their hearts stop for a split second. The young nurse was lying on the floor, unconscious, blood on her hands from a glass that had clearly been smashed.

Ash ran towards her. Kneeling down by her head, he took Rita's pulse. Noticing the empty packed of co-codamol on the side, next to an empty bottle of vodka, Ash quickly checked Rita's airway.

'Jeff, her pulse is weak and she's not breathing we need to start CPR and get her into the ambulance immediately!' Ash ordered, taking control of the situation, trying to stay as professional as he could whilst dealing with his friend.


	6. Chapter 6

The ED doors burst open! Jeff wheeled in the trolley, whilst Ash preformed CPR on Rita in an attempt to keep her alive. Lofty followed behind carrying the empty bottle and packet of pills that he had picked up to show what Rita had taken.

'This is Rita, tried to take her own life by mixing vodka with a large overdose of co-codamol, GCS 2, she's not breathing, been doing CPR for 15 minutes with no effect' Jeff stated as Zoe, Connie and Robyn rushed over to help.

'Resus now!' Connie shouted 'I want her intubated and a defibrillator now!'

The rest of the ED gathered around the doors of resus, waiting to see if Rita would pull through. Realising that what they had said about her had really affected the nurse.

'If she dies, I will never forgive myself' Roybn muttered' trying to hold back the tears that formed in her eyes.

'Robyn, this wasn't your fault! What you said may have been wrong but, you cannot go blaming yourself okay!' Zoe said as she rubbed her hand up and down Robyn's back to try and comfort the nurse.

'Clear' Ash stated 'And shocking!'

They all waited, their heart in their mouths.

'Nothing' Ash muttered 'Again, and clear'

'Come on Rita' Zoe practically begged.

'Shocking' shouted Ash


	7. Chapter 7

'I think we need to stop' Connie sighed, putting her hands on top of Lofty's to stop him continuing CPR. 'Everyone agree?'

Connie looked around resus, most of the ED staff were standing at the other end of the room. Most of them including Connie had tears in their eyes, Robyn was sobbing into Max's chest. Tess had even made the effort to call Fletch on AAU, to let him know about Rita. Even though she didn't want to see Fletch, she knew they were friends and therefore he had a right to know.

'Okay, time of death, 11.23.' Connie stated before turning around and walking straight out of resus, her head held high as she tried with all her might to remain professional.

The rest of the staff dispersed quickly and quietly, the atmosphere was dull, no one spoke for the rest of the day. Everyone felt bad, they couldn't believe that Rita was so depressed and she felt so alone that she would take her own life.

'Ash?' Zoe questioned as he stood by Rita's body, tears streaming down his face, 'Ash come on, let's go and get a coffee.' She guided Ash away from Rita, as they reached the doors, she turned around to take one final look at the nurse before walking Ash to the cafe


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone sat in the pub. There wasn't really any conversation going on. Fletch had been invited to join them so a couple of people asked him about his new job, but other than that no one really knew what to say.

Suddenly Ash stood up, 'to Rita' he said, lifting his drink into the air.

The rest of the group stood up to picking up their drinks.

'To Rita'


End file.
